Specialist – Inclusive Models

Job description

Job title: Specialist – Inclusive Models
Location: Any Scottish office with home working options
Salary: £48,798 
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week with flexible working options considered 
Status: Fixed term (12 months)*
Closing date: 5 June 2025
Job ref no: R00632

Be part of building Scotland's future

Our Inclusive Models team helps businesses explore alternative ownership and succession options that support long-term strategic change.

This is a great opportunity for a specialist in inclusive business models to take a leading role in helping companies transition to co-operative ownership.

The work supports the Scottish Government’s goals for Community Wealth Building (CWB) and promotes more inclusive, democratic ways of doing business.

The role

Specialists are the face of our organisation, working directly with businesses across Scotland. Working individually or with project teams across the wider eco-system, you’ll play an important part in influencing and supporting businesses to adopt an inclusive business model, with a specific focus on co-operative business models.

Your expertise and support will guide companies to review ownership succession options or explore other inclusive business models such as co-operatives, consortia, and employee ownership.  

In this advisory role, you’ll review organisations and collaborate with professional partners to create action plans that align with business goals. You’ll also connect businesses to the right support available through our organisation and our partners.

*This role is advertised on a temporary basis but could become permanent should business requirements change. In this case, we reserve the right to appoint the incumbent temporary candidate permanently without advertising the role again. 

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include:

• Helping businesses understand if a co-operative model is the right fit – including options, implications, and legal structures.
• Offering practical support to businesses to develop a consortium co-operative. This involves helping to finalising the memorandum and articles, registration with Companies House or FCA, and drafting a member’s agreement.
• Supporting community co-operatives to examine and consider the possibility of a viable community initiative. You’ll open up talks between core community groups to agree a shared vision and approach.
• Offering advice to community co-operatives on potential legal structures, governance, management, funding, and other issues.
• Responding to general enquiries relating to inclusive models, and signposting to sector partners, specialists and stakeholders to help businesses explore other solutions.

Who we're looking for

Your skills, knowledge and experience will include:

• An understanding and interest in the various kinds of fair and inclusive legal forms and organisational types – including Co-operative CICs, Bencoms and SCIOs, as well as Employee Owned CLSs and Trusts employee ownership.
• The ability to recognise these forms and be able to advise companies around the set up and maintenance of co-operatives and advise on other sector partners that focus on alternative models.
• Strong relationship-building skills, you’re able to earn trust and credibility, and deliver results by developing strategic, consultative partnerships.
• Effective communication and networking skills with a natural team-player attitude. You’ll also be confident working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and dealing with clients at the highest professional levels.
• Possible experience of providing business advice and direction at a senior level or on a consultancy basis. You’ll be comfortable addressing a broad range of business challenges.
• Educated to SCQF Level 9 or equivalent relevant professional experience.

How to apply

If you're interested in this role, complete your application form by 5 June 2025.

Interviews will be held on:

• Thursday 19 June 2025
• Friday 20 June 2025

Life at Scottish Enterprise

As one of Scotland’s Top 10 Flexible Employers, we pride ourselves on empowering our colleagues to work when and where they can best deliver their role. Learn more about working with us.

Our values

Being part of Scottish Enterprise means being open to new ideas and trying different ways of working. We support each other to reach our full potential. We celebrate shared success and learn together when things don’t go so well. And we always treat each other fairly, with respect and understanding. Together, we are the difference.

Apply now and build your future with us

At Scottish Enterprise, we’re proud to celebrate difference. Diversity of experience and thought is vital to the success of our vision for the future of every community across Scotland. As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from a wide range of individuals, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, gender identity and expression, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We commit to providing any reasonable adjustments required, not only during the application and assessment process, but throughout your employment with us.

We have the following networks, which are open to all colleagues to help drive inclusion: Disability Positive, Gender Balanced, Multi-Cultural, Multi-Generational and Pride (LGBTQ+).